Ring vs Ring 2: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Wireless doorbells are getting a lot of attention. Compared to the traditional doorbells, wireless products require less work and drilling.

If you’re someone who is into smart products, you’ll surely love Ring’s wireless doorbells. Ring has released several best-selling devices with innovative features and capabilities.

Ring and Ring 2 are two popular wireless doorbells. Like other smart doorbells, Ring devices lets you see who is at your door. They also offer live feeds and video recording features. On top of this, you don’t need to wire Ring and Ring 2 to make them work.

The first-generation Ring and Ring 2 (it can also work wired) are battery powered smart doorbells. While some might think that being a battery-powered device will affect the doorbell’s functionality, they’re mistaken.

Both of these doorbells perform quite well and deliver satisfying results.

Ring vs Ring 2: Pros & Cons and Verdict

In this Ring 2 vs Ring article, we’ll evaluate, compare and review the most important aspects of both wireless doorbells. We’ll also present a few detailed charts and lastly, we’ll come up with a reasonable verdict and crown either of these as the leading product.

1. Installation Process

It’s crucial for all smart products to have simple setup processes since no one likes spending hours on watching guides and reading manuals to complete a simple task like this.

Luckily, Ring manufactures DIY devices and setting up either of these is pretty simple. It takes around 5 minutes to complete the installation process and there’s no chance of messing up.

The package of both video doorbells includes every necessary tool to mount and activate Ring products. If you’re interested how to complete the installation, make sure to watch this:

The setup is the same of the first-generation Ring. If you still have questions, make sure to read the user’s manual. It’s well-written. Alternatively, reach out to the support team of Ring. Those guys are superb and will help with any issue you might be facing.

2. Design

It’s essential for modern devices to have attractive designs. Since we’ll be mounting our doorbells next our front/back door, they have to seemingly blend with the outdoor exterior. If Ring and Ring 2 don’t look right, buyers might get upset.

Ring Doorbell

Ring is a well-made product that doesn’t look like a traditional doorbell. The surface is made of nickel and it’s available in four different colours. Measuring 4.9 by 2.4 by 0.8 inches (HWD), the upper part of the doorbell is made of black plastic.

The doorbell itself feels like a quality-made product. Compared to other products like the Skybell and August Cam, Ring is way better.

It looks beautiful when mounted and attracts a lot of attention. We talked with other Ring doorbell owners and everyone loves the way it looks.

Ring 2 Doorbell

Ring 2 is no way different from the first-generation doorbell. Visually, they’re nearly identical with minor changes. For example, Ring 2 is 5.05-inches tall, 2.50-inches wide, and 1.08-inches thick. It’s a bit bulkier compared to its predecessor.

Before making the decision to purchase the doorbell, make sure to measure the space next to your door. You need to be certain that the Ring 2 will fit there without any complications.

The package of the Ring 2 doorbell includes two interchangeable faceplates. You can swap them whenever you want and it’s a huge perk that you can change the colour of the doorbell without paying extra.

Compared to its predecessor, Ring 2’s design has improved. I really like it more and it feels more of a strong build. People who upgraded from the first-generation Ring to the newer model are all happy with the Ring 2’s looks.

3. Features

It’s important to know the features of both doorbells. Since Ring is the predecessor of Ring 2, we need to know if there are any noticeable improvements. In order to find it out, we created a detailed chart where all the main features of both smart doorbells are included.

RING DOORBELL

RING 2 DOORBELL

720p Video

Amazon Alexa Integration

180° Field of View

1080p HD Video

Motion Alerts

Motion Alerts

Amazon Alexa Support

IFTTT Compatible

IFTTT Compatible

Motion Alert Customization

Wi-Fi Support

Wi-Fi Support

Battery Powered

Battery Powered & Works Wired

Motion Alerts

On-Demand Streaming

Works Wired

Cloud Recording

While both are quite similar, there’s a huge difference in performance. The first-generation Ring is good but it has known bugs that were reported a hundred times. The manufacturer took notice of all and made sure the newer model, Ring 2, was free from all the issues.

4. Performance & Camera Capabilities

This is the crucial aspect of our comparison article. It’s essential to know how well these two perform and if the camera capabilities are acceptable. If Ring and Ring 2 can’t offer anything special and noteworthy, we should look for alternatives.

Ring Doorbell

Once you’ve installed the Ring doorbell, it can only send notifications if someone is standing next to your door. We tested the doorbell with a Chime Pro and did the wireless setup which took around 10 minutes.

You can receive notifications on your smartphone, Chime (if you have one set up) or both. Ring performed relatively well but there were some drawbacks that caused a few headaches.

To begin with, Ring isn’t smart enough to properly differentiate human activity from vehicles or swaying trees. That’s a huge issue since consistent false alerts might annoy a user which can lead to an individual avoiding checking Ring’s notifications.

No matter how much we tried lowering the sensitivity levels, Ring continued to send false alerts. It was mostly affected by trucks and buses. Unfortunately, Ring isn’t smart enough to handle the task.

Whenever someone passes by and triggers the built-in motion sensors, Ring will send a notification on your phone with an option to start the live feed.

Ring records in 720p quality which isn’t attractive. If you’re interested how well the doorbell records, take a look at this:

The image is quite blurry and we experienced pixelated images when someone came by. That could be caused by the Wi-Fi connectivity since a similar thing happened with Ring 2’s night vision.

Still, we weren’t impressed with Ring’s camera capabilities. The black-and-white night-vision was not good and the visitor’s face was hardly recognizable.

Ring also has a two-way audio feature. While it’s not bad, it sometimes gets buggy and the communication fails.

The cool thing is that Ring has a built-in IR sensor that can track body heat. So you won’t be receiving false alerts from shadows.

Ring promises that the battery life of its first-generation doorbell lasts up to six-twelve months. While we couldn’t test it for that long, in about three weeks, we lost 18% of battery life. So the company’s estimations can be a bit optimistic.

Ring 2 Doorbell

As soon as you activate the Ring 2 doorbell from the mobile application, it’s ready to work. Ring 2 sends a notification when someone passes by or presses the doorbell. You’ll be getting alert on your smartphone and a Chime (if you have one set up).

The first-generation Ring was well-known for its bugs. A lot of people reported several issues with the doorbell and fortunately, Ring work hard a released a second-generation doorbell with minimal issues.

Compared to the Ring doorbell, Ring 2 has a better motion detection system, 1080p HD Camera, enhanced battery life and improved night-vision. The two-way audio also seems to be a step ahead.

Whenever you receive a notification on your smartphone, you have an option to start a live feed. If you do, there’s an option to have to have a two-way talk with your visitor. It’s especially useful if you’re not home and someone came to leave a package.

You can speak to them via the doorbell and provide further directions.

Since the Ring 2 can function as a wireless doorbell, it’s crucial to know its longevity. Ring also promised that the battery will last up to six-twelve months. For obvious reasons, we couldn’t test it that long but with intensive use of three weeks, we lost around 8% of the battery life.

That looks like a really promising stat.

We also discussed the battery life with other Ring 2 owners (with those who owned it for longer than three months) and none have complained about it.

The motion sensors of Ring 2 is outstanding. Compared to the previous generation model, it’s enhanced and rarely makes mistakes.

While you might hear some people complaining about the sensitivity levels being too high, don’t think low of the Ring 2. You can simply adjust the sensitivity from the mobile application.

When we first got our Ring 2, it sent a few false alerts that were quite annoying. As soon as we lowered it a little, everything went smoothly.

The biggest drawback of all Ring doorbells is the fact that they don’t offer a free cloud storage. Everyone just gets a month of a free trial and then you’re required to pay $3/monthly or $30/yearly.

If you don’t, well, your doorbell won’t be that useful.

Things might change soon, though. Amazon announced that they bought the company ‘Ring’, so they might offer something more unique and adapted for Amazon users.

If you’re interested how well the Ring 2 doorbell records, we’ve included a picture taken from the doorbell’s camera. Compared to the Ring doorbell, it’s very impressive.

The face of the person was blurred due to privacy concerns but it was clearly visible and easily recognizable. The night-vision of the doorbell is also good. Compared to what the first-generation model offered, it’s drastically improved.

While watching a live feed, you might experience blurry images (it might be pixelated at night) but don’t be hasty to judge. The saved/downloaded clips are in perfect health and look awesome.

The quality of the live feed is heavily linked with the Wi-Fi strength. If it weakens, the quality of the feed worsens. So it’s beneficial to purchase a Chime Pro (it extends the Wi-Fi signal).

Two-way audio of Ring 2 is impressive. It’s loud and clear. As for the 160-degree field of view, the angle is perfect.

5. Mobile Application

It’s critical for a smart home product to have a functional mobile application. Especially, for a video doorbell since we’ll be using the app to view, save and review footages. If Ring’s mobile app fails to deliver satisfying results, it’ll affect the user experience which will lower the overall satisfaction.

Ring’s mobile app is well-built, straightforward to use and easily manageable.

From all the smart doorbell apps we’ve tested, Ring takes the top spot.

If you already own Ring’s other products, there’s not a separate app available for the doorbell. You’ll be combining all the devices in a single Ring application.

The app itself is quite useful. It offers a lot of insights. For example, you can check the recent motion triggers, download clips, check your device’s health, battery life and launch a live feed.

You can configure the motion zones from the mobile app. It’s the most useful feature we’ve ever seen since it minimizes the false alert instances.

Plus, you can also schedule notifications so that the sound won’t interrupt at inappropriate times.

Lastly, you can grant access to your family members. If you want for other to be able to monitor the activity, you can simply do so using the mobile app.

Frankly, the app is very good. Quite the best we’ve tested in a while.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages of Ring Doorbell

Besides everything we’ve discussed, it’s essential to know the advantages and disadvantages of both video doorbells. In order to find it out, we’ve created two charts where all the pros and cons of Ring and Ring 2 are included.

While the pros of both are quite similar, the Ring 2 is way better in performance. It has better capabilities and enhanced features. Ring doorbell might be a good start but it’s no way near the second-generation model.

Comparison Chart: Ring vs Ring 2

Lastly, before concluding our comparison article, we’d like to present a detailed chart where compare these two video doorbells, directly.

NAME OF VIDEO DOORBELL

RING

RING 2

Video Doorbell Name

Ring

Ring 2

Amazon Alexa Support

Yes

Yes

IFTTT Support

Yes

Yes

Mobile Application

Yes

Yes

Wi-Fi

Yes

Yes

Dual-Power

Yes

Yes

Field of View

180-degree

160-degree

Customizable Motion Zones

Yes

Yes

Two-way Audio

Yes

Yes

Cloud Recording

Optional

Optional

Easy to Set Up

Yes

Yes

Camera

720p HD

1080p HD

Night Vision

Yes, Black-and-White

Yes, Black-and-White

Issues

Weak Sensors, Poor Camera

None

Unique Feature

Wireless Operation

Wireless Operation

Warranty

1-year

1-year

Check Price

So the main aspect where these two differ is the performance. Ring 2 is way better than the first-generation Ring and delivers more satisfying results.

Ring vs Ring 2: Closing Line

So both doorbells are pretty good. Ring and Ring 2 are two popular and best-selling wireless doorbells with the most positive reviews and high ratings.

While both can get the job done, Ring 2 is still a superior device. With its enhanced motion detection system, better camera capabilities and enhanced longevity, it exceeds the capabilities of Ring in every aspect.

If you don’t own a wireless doorbell yet, we advise getting the Ring 2. It’ll give you a sense of safety, trust and quality. I’m sure that it’ll meet your expectations.

In case you own the Ring doorbell, you already know the flaws it has. Ring 2 has fixed the majority of those issues and works much better.

Features

Design

Support

Stability

Summary

Ring and Ring 2 are the most popular, best-selling and durable wireless doorbells on the market. If you're looking for a quality smart doorbell, you have to choose between these two. None of the devices in the industry can offer anything close to what Ring does.

4.8

Shortly, in any case, Ring 2 the best wireless doorbell on the market. If you plan on an upgrade, do it, you won’t be disappointed. The second-generation model works like a charm.

First NameE-Mail Address

About Jeremy Jauncey

Hey! I'm Jeremy! I'm an entrepreneur who loves smart gadgets! I've been in this industry for several years and already run several successful stores in the US! If you have any questions, leave a comment or send me a message using the contact page!